The Beatles Thread

McCartney was the best musician and wrote the best music. Lennon wrote better lyrics. It's what made the pairing so incredible.

 

I've always been in the McCartney over Lennon camp--Beatles and beyond.

But as time goes on, Harrison's music almost seems to age the best.

 

One of my favorite George Harrison stories, although I couldn't find the better, longer piece I originally discovered:

Hear George Harrison's lost guitar solo on 'Here Comes the Sun'

 

1. Don't forget, when the Beatles started out, Harrison being a couple years younger than the others made a big difference. He improved as a songwriter in part because he matured as a person (that's true for all four, I guess).

2. Craziest thing about the Beatles' prolific output is how many great songs were just singles: DayTripper, Rain, Paperback Writer, even I Want to Hold Your Hand. Supposedly Brian Epstein and others at EMI thought putting hit 45 songs on the albums was ripping off the fans. Hard to comprehend that line of thought today.

3. I'm with Bubbler (welcome back, BTW!) on the earlier Beatles stuff growing on me as I cruise through my 40s. Some of their deep cuts, such as "I'll Be Back," are absolutely fantastic songs.

 

While my guitar gently weeps has been a favorite of mine for over 35 years, a girl turned me on to it. Great memory.

From Wiki, this is how great George was considered by his peers

In 2004, Harrison was inducted posthumously into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" was played in tribute by Tom Petty vocals/guitar, Jeff Lynne vocals/guitar, Steve Winwood Hammond organ, Billy Preston keyboards, Scott Thurston Bass Guitar, Steve Ferrone Drums, Jim Capaldi percussion and tambourine, Marc Mann lead guitar, Dhani Harrison vocals/guitar, concluding with the guitar solo by fellow inductee Prince.[26][27]

 

They were playing an interview with George Harrison yesterday and he said having Clapton come in as a guest on that song really helped the poisonous atmosphere in the recording studio since everyone was on their best behaviour. Same thing when Billy Preston sat in. He said it was a great relief when any guest sat in.

Plus that is a gloriously gorgeous song.

 

1. Fun to see George Martin playing air cello to the playback.

2. It had to be awesome for Dhani Harrison, Sean Lennon and James McCartney to hear that stuff of their dads', recorded a decade or more before they were born. Julian Lennon and Ringo's sons heard it from when they were kids, but the post-Beatle kids had to hear it secondhand.

3. I know why George Martin nixed the guitar solo on "HCTS." It would have played right over and drowned out the harmony chorus, "sun, sun, sun, here it comes."

 

With a couple of exceptions, you could really tell just how much Paul and John needed each other by their solo work. Wings did well for Paul but it wasn't the same. John had a couple of hits and of course Imagine can stand up against anything from the Beatles catalogue, but the way they played off of each other was incredible.

 

There are not many songs by anyone that can claim to be on the level of the guitar play in that song. God that whole song is just special to listen to.

 

Is it that, or were they going to lose their fastball at some point anyway? It's not like the Stones kept pumping out "Sticky Fingers" over and over again.

Alternate theory: Maybe going solo helped John and Paul sustain some of the magic, rather than diminishing them.

 

Of the four solo Beatles, McCartney actually stumbled the worst coming out of the gate after the breakup.

George hit it huge with All Things Must Pass, John put out the epochal Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, and Ringo had a surprising run of hits.

Paul pretty much floundered until Band On The Run in late 73. Once he got going, Wings had a half decade run as a mega group, but Paul was the last of the Beatles to really be successful as a solo act.

 

Didn't George have a lot of material ready to go, since he was only getting one song or so per album?

He also had better collaborators than Yoko and Linda.